Last Word On Hockey's Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2026-27 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team's current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We'll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we're previewing the 2026-27 Minnesota Wild.
There's been plenty of chatter about the 2026-27 Minnesota Wild. The main offseason rabble has been whether or not Quinn Hughes will sign an extension. Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin was able to weaponize the salary cap **** e since the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were greatly reduced. Guerin has been taking care of players like Brock Faber and Kirill Kaprizov.
However, the Hughes question hangs over the franchise's head like a cloud. The Wild rolled the dice to get the high-flying defender from the Vancouver Canucks. However, it would be a disaster if the Olympic Gold Medal winner doesn't stay beyond this season. The Wild have only made the Western Conference Final once in the franchise's history. Minnesota knows the pressure is on to at least get back there.
Guerin fulfulled his promise of making the team into a Stanley Cup contender. He managed to give Kaprizov the deal that would keep the dynamic forward in the fold. However, getting Hughes proved to be a masterstroke. It cemented the Wild as a contender despite being in one of the toughest divisions in hockey.
Minnesota looked the part of a contender by finishing 10th in scoring, fourth in defence, and seventh in points. The Wild even broke some of their bad postseason luck by getting past the Dallas Stars. However, the same old Wild came back in the second round in a loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The Wild were exposed as not having as much depth as the Avs and not having enough team speed. Minnesota has made plenty of progress, but the team still has a long way to go.
#hughes #guerin #back #last
There's been plenty of chatter about the 2026-27 Minnesota Wild. The main offseason rabble has been whether or not Quinn Hughes will sign an extension. Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin was able to weaponize the salary cap **** e since the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were greatly reduced. Guerin has been taking care of players like Brock Faber and Kirill Kaprizov.
However, the Hughes question hangs over the franchise's head like a cloud. The Wild rolled the dice to get the high-flying defender from the Vancouver Canucks. However, it would be a disaster if the Olympic Gold Medal winner doesn't stay beyond this season. The Wild have only made the Western Conference Final once in the franchise's history. Minnesota knows the pressure is on to at least get back there.
Guerin fulfulled his promise of making the team into a Stanley Cup contender. He managed to give Kaprizov the deal that would keep the dynamic forward in the fold. However, getting Hughes proved to be a masterstroke. It cemented the Wild as a contender despite being in one of the toughest divisions in hockey.
Minnesota looked the part of a contender by finishing 10th in scoring, fourth in defence, and seventh in points. The Wild even broke some of their bad postseason luck by getting past the Dallas Stars. However, the same old Wild came back in the second round in a loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The Wild were exposed as not having as much depth as the Avs and not having enough team speed. Minnesota has made plenty of progress, but the team still has a long way to go.
#hughes #guerin #back #last
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